Synopsis

In early August 2012, the Mars Science Laboratory Curiosity rover was safely delivered to its Mars landing site in Gale Crater. In addition to the rover's science instrument payload for atmosphere and soil analysis, Curiosity carries 17 cameras that are capturing the Martian landscape in unprecedented detail. Scientists anticipate that the geological diversity of the landing site and nearby areas will yield a rich variety of samples, informing their understanding of Mars's past and present habitability.